Poppy Watson Family

Poppy May Watson

Year of Call: 2020
Email Address: [email protected]
Telephone: 01202 292 102

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Clerks Details

  • Clerk Name: Sarah Jenking
  • Clerk Telephone: 01202 292 102
  • Clerk Email: [email protected]

Overview

Poppy Watson is a family barrister whose busy caseload is exclusively child law - be that private law, care proceedings or adoption. This sees her acting in public children proceedings and 16.4 children’s guardian work in private children proceedings.

Poppy is already rated as a Rising Star barrister in Legal 500 for children and domestic abuse cases. She joined 3PB in May 2026.

Her workload routinely involves cases with allegations of Parental Alienation, Non-Accidental Injury (NAI, NAHI, death and poisoning cases), Sexual Abuse and Care proceedings and Adoption.

Whilst completing the BPTC LLM, Poppy volunteered for the Free Representation Unit and provided pro bono advice and representation at East London Family Court. Poppy further developed her interest in family law by writing her LLB dissertation on commercial surrogacy and her LLM dissertation on family practice. Poppy happily provides training for solicitors and local authority social workers as well as Children’s Guardians.

Poppy has already appeared in two well-known recent published cases, namely:

Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole Council v A Mother & Ors [2025] EWFC 322 (B)
A Local Authority v Mrs H (Mother to V) & Ors [2025] EWFC 316

Expertise

  • Family
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    Poppy Watson is regularly instructed on family children cases, acting both on a private and publicly-funded basis.
    She regularly acts in multi-day final and finding of fact hearings dealing with cases involving:

    • Serious domestic abuse
    • Allegations of sexual abuse of a child by a parent and family members
    • Possession of indecent images of a child
    • Serious injuries to a child
    • Vulnerable parents requiring the assistance of an intermediary
    • Evidence from experts

    Poppy has acted for a local authority in the High Court in respect of an application made by a grandmother for a Writ of Habeas Corpus. As part of her practice, Poppy is often providing skeleton arguments, position statements, opening
    notes and advices to, and for, her clients.

    Private Law

    Poppy is instructed in a wide range of private law children proceedings including urgent hearings, FHDRAs, DRAs, fact-finding and final hearings. She has experience representing both parents and wider family members and dealing with cases involving issues such as domestic abuse, allegations of drug and alcohol misuse, poor parental mental health and sexual abuse.

    Poppy is also experienced in dealing with proceedings under Part IV of the Family Law Act 1996, including ex parte hearings, return date hearings and contested final hearings.

    Public Law

    Poppy has an established public children practice on the South Coast of England and receives regular repeat instructions from local solicitors. She is frequently instructed in cases of greater complexity including cases involving non-accidental injury and sexual abuse.

    Poppy has a particular interest in public law children proceedings and has experience acting for parents, Children's Guardians and Local Authorities throughout proceedings including at EPO hearings, ICO hearings, CMHs, IRHs, contested hearings and multi-day final hearings.

     

     

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